[Discoveries] are sent to you in strange ways. Grab them while you can. I'll take that as my scientific legacy.

The speaker frames scientific discovery as partly serendipitous—arriving “in strange ways” rather than through linear planning—and urges an attitude of readiness and decisiveness: when an unexpected lead appears, one must seize it before it vanishes. The second sentence shifts from advice to self-assessment, suggesting a personal credo about how a life in science should be judged: not only by planned programs or institutional prestige, but by the capacity to recognize and capitalize on unforeseen opportunities. Calling this his “scientific legacy” implies humility and pragmatism: the enduring contribution is a mindset—alertness to chance and the courage to act—rather than a single named finding.